How bad does the loss of UConn and Rutgers hurt the BE deal, I think pretty bad. They need to have signed days months years ago, there isn't going to be anyone left when they finally get it signed. So will they just add 1 western school for 12 or 3 total schools to get to 14, like ECU, AFA, Fresno?

How bad does the loss of UConn and Rutgers hurt the BE deal, I think pretty bad. They need to have signed days months years ago, there isn't going to be anyone left when they finally get it signed. So will they just add 1 western school for 12 or 3 total schools to get to 14, like ECU, AFA, Fresno?

I think it completely jeopardizes the television deal if not the very stability of the conference. If this move comes to pass and the Big East loses UConn and Rutgers we're talking about a Big East that no longer has any members that tie together the basketball faction and football faction except maybe Temple and that may not even be true as Villanova has zero affinity to their state school counterpart. It's a Big East with only one football school in the old northeastern footprint. Also, with blood already in the water, who's to say that the Big 12 won't step in and take what they can pick from the Big East carcass. If the Catholic basketball schools "file for divorce" from the hodgepodge of far flung football schools the Big East has accumulated then this conference is in serious trouble. I think we are very likely to see the football faction create a rebooted version of the original C-USA with whoever is left behind from the B1G/ACC/Big 12 raids and the top schools/tv markets in the current 14-member C-USA---let's call it the Metro Conference.

The story is also in The Washington Post, and is now being carried by newpapers throughout ACC regions and elsewhere. Maryland to the Big Ten is supposedly to be announced within days.

No wonder Maryland voted against the ACC's move to impose hefty exit fees for the future.

If it happens, as some have already stated; here are some of the immediate questions:

(a) Who shall be #14 for the B1G? OK, assume Rutgers as speculated.(b) Does the ACC replace UMD, and with whom? UCONN seems to be frontrunner.(c) Shall ND thus make a full fb commitment to the ACC? "Uhhh no -- but the ACC will retain 14 for full fb.(d) Will such prompt anyone else to leave the ACC? Probably not anytime soon, unless superconferences try to go beyond 14.(e) Is there a gentlemen's-type agreement among the big power conferences to make 14 member conferences the new standard? Somewhat; keeping up with the Jones' stuff; TV, markets, recruiting...(f) Did the ACC hurt itself among certain exisiting members by adding too much too soon from the BE and providing Notre Dame a sweetheart, special deal? Doubt it; ACC additions looked favorable for MD, generally. Other factors involved.

Will be great if this happens, if only that it finds a way to slip Rutgers into the Big Ten with the ideal school, Maryland, which might not be a top FB program right now, but a power in the region. It's the Big Ten's big play into the region that the ACC had been gobbling up.

While Louisville is a great ACC option, I too think UConn is too easy to slot in there. With BC, Uconn, Syracuse and Pitt, it's a pretty strong grasp of the region. Yes, Penn St. and Rutgers along with Maryland would be a a big one...but the ACC would be in a pretty good spot.

The Big East though...tough indeed. Loss of those 2 means zero original Big East members. It's CUSA with Temple, SDSU and Boise St.

Hearing that this move was pushed for by Fox (majority owner of the BTN) and not ESPN since they are in talks over buying a large share of the YES Network. This would mean even more money for the Big Ten if they get these networks packaged together in the Northeast/DC corridor.

ESPN is the one rumored to be pushing UConn (and possibly Gtown, St John's and Nova) to the ACC.

_________________Fan of the Big 12 Conference, the Mountain West Conference and...

Washington Post article with more on this morning's UM BOR meeting.Still waiting to hear if UM decides to formally apply to Big Ten for membership.Link at http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/co ... sports_pop(Site requires a subscription.I will try to obtain an alternate link if possible)

Brett McMurphy article reporting that while Maryland will be announcing move to Big Ten this afternoon,Rutgers BOG will be discussing joining the Big Ten at their meeting today with a possible announcement by tomorrow.Link at http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story ... ources-say

Official as of a liitle after 3pm. Typical Big Ten style...more secretive than a CIA operation. I have a feeling the Big East acquisitions were the kicker. UMD lost at every level in that one, and I bet UMD's rivalries with UNC and Duke were toast. ACC: make this your reality check.

I won't be optimistic about this until Rutgers is off the table. There HAS to be a better applicant pool...no way is the ACC's trash a B1G's treasure. Be it GT or UVA or those previously rejected, a program like Rutgers will be start of the end of this conference. They bring nothing.

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